


On Being Strange and Unusual

by Strangexunusual



Category: Beetlejuice - All Media Types, Beetlejuice - Perfect/Brown & King
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Celebrations, Dead People, Friendship, Gen, Ghosts, Memories, Multi, Older Characters, One Shot, Post-Canon, Reflection, Self-Reflection, Talking To Dead People
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:28:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28253163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Strangexunusual/pseuds/Strangexunusual
Summary: On the anniversary of the day she first met the Maitlands, Lydia takes some time to reflect back on her life.
Relationships: Lydia Deetz & Adam Maitland & Barbara Maitland
Kudos: 5





	On Being Strange and Unusual

“And that should just about cover it!” Lydia said with pride, surveying the now fully decorated attic space around her. She was lucky that the Maitlands had headed downstairs already, she didn’t want them to know exactly what she’d been up to until much later in the day.

Turning and pushing open the attic door, Lydia made her exit. 

Lydia trudged her way downstairs, rubbing the excess sleep out of her eyes. She had to admit, getting up earlier than she usually did had made her much more tired than she’d expected. 

The sweet aroma of chocolate chip pancakes, presumably made by Barbara, filtered through the house. One of her favorite breakfast meals.

Entering the kitchen area and taking a seat at the kitchen counter, Lydia focused her attention onto Barbara, the latter’s blonde hair tied back into a neat bun, who was standing over by the stove and using her powers to make Lydia’s pancakes.

“Morning, Barbara!” Lydia said with a bright smile, turning her attention over towards Adam, who happened to be sitting next to her and working on a crossword puzzle that Charles had been more than happy to give him. “Morning, Adam!”

Whilst Barbara said “morning” in response, Adam looked up and gave Lydia a smile in return before turning his attention back to the crossword. 

“Slept well?” Barbara set a plate of freshly made pancakes down in front of the teen with her powers and sat down on the other side of Lydia. 

Lydia nodded, taking a bite of the uppermost pancake. 

Adam and Barbara seemed to hum at the same time in response, Adam putting his unfinished crossword away. 

“How long’s it been? Since I met you guys?” Lydia muttered quietly without realizing it at first, picking up her now empty plate and carrying it over to the sink to be washed later on. Adam and Barbara, confused, glanced at each other, having a sort of mental conversation before turning their attention back over towards Lydia.

It seemed she’d realized she’d said that, as she had now turned to face them, a rather sheepish look on her face.

“I regret saying that,” she said, letting out a laugh.

“Nono, it’s okay.” Barbara floated over towards Lydia and rested a hand on top of the teenager’s shoulder, directing her attention onto her. “I don’t know.” Barbara hummed quietly as she thought up what to say next. “Time.... passes differently for Adam and I so quite some time could’ve passed for us. But, at the same time, little time could’ve passed by. Why ask?” 

“No reason.” 

Thought after thought about the two ghosts ran throughout the teen girl’s mind and she found herself absentmindly staring up towards the ceiling of the kitchen much to the concern of Adam and Barbara: memories from the very day they first met, talking about possessing her dad, Delia, and the rest of the dinner party guests, and them levitating her into the air following the Betelgeuse incident. In fact, she didn’t realize how long she’d been thinking until Barbara worriedly waved a hand in front of her face. 

“Lyd? Lydia? Lydia Deetz? You there?” There was more than a hint of worry in the female ghost’s voice.

“H-huh?” Lydia shook her head a few times then turned her attention onto the two worried ghosts. When did they get up from the counter? “Sorry ‘bout that, guys. I was thinking.” 

“I’m guessing about us?” Barbara said knowingly and Lydia directed her attention solely on her. When Lydia gave her a quizzical look, Barbara clarified, “Lydia, you were mumbling about wanting us to make you float like old times. Is there a reason why?”

“Not that I know of.” Lydia knew she was lying, but didn’t want the Maitlands to catch on. “But I don’t mind you guys making me float like old times. That’s actually pretty fun and something you guys should consider doing whenever.” 

“Want us to do it now?” Barbara asked with a smile on her face. 

“Maybe later,” Lydia said, standing up. “There’s something that I would like to show you two first but I’m gonna need you to blindfold yourselves. If that’s okay with you two?” 

The Maitlands looked at one another, deep in thought, then nodded, turning their attention back over towards Lydia. Summoning blindfolds, the Maitlands used their powers to tie them and Lydia led them upstairs to the attic. Pushing open the attic door, the three of them entered the attic and Lydia stepped away, turning to face them.

“Okay!” she said after a few seconds. “You guys can take the blindfolds off!”

The Maitlands did so immediately, taking in the sight before them. They could’ve sworn they’d heard Lydia run upstairs to the attic all the way downstairs but hadn’t thought much of it until now. 

“Surprise!” Lydia said rather ecstatically, seeing the surprised looks on the ghosts’ faces. “Happy anniversary of the day we first met!”

Barbara brought a hand up to her mouth, covering it as her eyes widened. “Lydia! You didn’t need to do this!” 

Lydia seemed confused at first, but then was bombarded with tight hugs from the two ghosts. She wrapped her arms around Barbara, a smile crossing her face. She closed her eyes at the exact same time as the Maitlands, the three of them staying in that exact position for a few minutes.

Pulling away, the three of them sat together on a couch in one of the corners of the attic and chatted away, Lydia about her childhood and the Maitlands about what their lives were like before their deaths. A giggle escaped Lydia’s throat as Adam talked about how crazy Barbara was when they were teens.

“What say,” Lydia said after the current conversation the three of them were having died down. “You guys make me float like old times.” 

The Maitlands nodded in unison as they turned to look at one another. Immediately afterwards, Lydia felt her feet lift off the ground as her deceased mother’s favorite song played. 

From the air, Lydia smiled softly down at the Maitlands, happy with the fact that they wanted it to be exactly like the first time they did it. Lydia danced in midair to the beat of the music this time around, wanting to make this experience a bit different from the first one. 

She felt lucky to have the Maitlands in her life.


End file.
